Trust
by MissWritingStoriesObsessed
Summary: 'Tom is right, Mike and Andrea don't exactly act like friends.' Based off a conversation I had with 'novemberjuliet' not too long ago.


**Trust.**

Decided to write this little piece based on season four.

'Tom is right, Mike and Andrea don't exactly act like friends.'

Based off a conversation I had with 'novemberjuliet' not too long ago. I hope you enjoy, feedback is always welcome.

 **Disclaimer – I don't own anything.**

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"So, is it all coming back to you now?" Mike asked Tom when he saw his former CO in his stateroom.

"It never left. This ship is a pretty difficult one to forget." Tom answered turning to face the other man.

"I see a lot of the crew wanted to finish what they started. I'm not sure if they'll forgive me yet, but I hope in time they can understand why I did what I did." Mike nodded as Tom spoke.

He had to say he hoped for that too. Mike would never fully understand why Tom left, of course there was the obvious, but Mike always felt like they could have dealt with that another way.

"Andrea didn't redeploy then?" Tom asked after a moment of silence.

Mike sat down at his desk before answering, wondering when the question would come up.

"No. She's back on the base, helping us out from there." Mike answered him, his lips forming a smile at the thought of his former XO, but still weary of how much he should be telling Tom.

Tom was back, but no one, probably not even he, knew for how long.

"Seems like a good idea, after all you have a good engineering department and with Meylan, she's not urgently needed." Tom shrugged, sitting down on the couch.

Mike shook his head, "Well, if you want to look at it like that." He could hear the bitterness in his own voice, not that he wanted to start an argument, but speaking of her only made things harder, and he didn't want to say it out loud, but without Andrea next to him, without her constant advice and the late-night conversations, it felt almost lonely among two hundred other sailors.

"How else would you look at it, Mike?"

"I trust her, Tom." Mike told him. "Government wasn't exactly trustworthy when you left us all, so I needed someone there who could help us out, who I knew would do all they could to ensure the safety of this crew, and I think you know Andrea fits that pretty well. After all, she's the one who ended up with that needle in her arm."

Mike spoke as clearly and as calmly as he could while Tom nodded slowly.

"I didn't mean to cause offense, Mike. I know she's a good sailor, and clearly she means something to you."

Mike gave him a look, his eyes narrowing slightly, "And what's what supposed to mean?"

"Well," Tom got up, taking a few steps towards the door. "You don't exactly act like friends do…"

Mike didn't say anything, both sides of his brain screaming different responses, so instead he watched as Tom left, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly when the door had closed, and he was alone.

He sat for a few moments, wondering what to do with what his old friend had just said to him. _'You don't exactly act like friends do,'_ if Mike was being honest, it was more a compliment than a criticism, but that was the personal side of him, the part of him that he should have left back on the mainland. The part that he should have been focused on was the side that said he and Andrea were crew mates, and that's where it both started and ended.

It was a lie, but a lie that he was used to telling.

Later, Mike was chuckling at something Andrea had said while they both worked on paperwork thousands of miles away from each other.

"Well, Tom hasn't tried to take over yet, but I think it's only a matter of time, running this ship is in his blood." Mike told her, knowing just how true it was.

" _Does that bother you?"_

Mike shook his head. "I don't think so. I spoke to him earlier, and I get the feeling he might actually stay this time."

" _Ah, a civil conversation, I wasn't sure you were capable of doing that after he left,"_

Mike could hear the sarcasm in her voice, but chose not to say anything, his mind reminding him of what else Tom had said and how funny he'd found it in the moment.

"He asked where you were, and I explained, and then told me how we don't exactly act like friends do."

" _Is that a direct quote?" Andrea asked._

"I believe so." Mike said, smiling as Andrea burst out laughing on the other end of the line.

It had been a while since Mike had heard anyone laugh like that, and more so with him, it was almost refreshing to hear, like it had given him a new purpose, get the job done so more people could be happy, so more people could laugh.

" _Well, he is right, we don't exactly act like friends,"_

Mike shook his head, "No we do not."

" _I can't believe it took him this long to figure it out. I was certain he knew before, clearly I was wrong."_

"Clearly," Mike agreed, "Look, I need to go, these reports won't finish themselves and I have to start my watch in a few hours, and as much as I would love to continue our conversation, you are a distraction."

He saw her chuckle and give him that knowing smile.

" _Stay safe, Mike. I love you,"_

"I love you too, I'll see you soon,"

The call ended, and much like every time Mike felt empty, lonely, sad even, but one the other hand he felt more motivated. At least that was something.

He let his head fall back against his chair, smiling at the ceiling. Tom's words going round in his head, his former Captain was going to figure it out eventually, and he didn't mind, not like he did when Andrea was on the ship.

Maybe, deep down that was another reason he wanted her on the mainland. He wanted her there because he trusted her more than anyone else, and because he loved her.

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Spell checked and edited, I promise, but I do miss things, so I am sorry if something isn't quite right. Thank you for reading, feedback is both loved and appreciated.


End file.
